11/01/2012

Romney ignites a barbecue war in Richmond

If you were ever wondering what impact the Electoral College has on the race for president, today's line of attack by Mitt Romney and subsequent response from the Obama campaign are perfect examples.

(Mitt Romney visited a closed down Bill's BBQ)

The Electoral College system, which divides the states up into a series of individual contests, forces the candidates for president to dive down deep into local issues. On Thursday Romney visited the shuttered Richmond institution Bill's BBQ, and released this web ad blaming at least some of the companies struggles on the Obama administration:

But while the owners of Bill's put their support behind Romney, another prominent Barbecue restaruant, Buz & Ned's defended the president. They say their business is thriving, in part to a series of small business loans provided by the federal government. Their latest one came during the Obama administration and allowed them to open a new facility in the West End.

The battle is one only a Richmonder could care about and it shows just how important this campaigns consider you vote.

Here is my story for NBC12:

CAROLINE COUNTY, VA (WWBT)- Not only are the candidates for president
spending a lot of time in Virginia, they are now talking about issues that only
people here would care about. In his visit to
Caroline County, Mitt Romney launched a new attack against President Obama and
used a Richmond based business to illustrate his point.

Sometimes it seems like
the Electoral College turns people running for president into city council
candidates.

Every vote in Virginia,
and even Richmond, is so important they need to connect with you on something
you are familiar with.

Like your favorite
barbeque.

The clock is running out and the
campaigns are pulling out all the stops. Mitt Romney rolled into an Exhibition
Hall at the Meadow Event Park in his campaign bus. He then fired up the crowd.

"I know the president wants to
see four more years and that is his chant 4 more years, 4 more years,” he said.
“But our chant is this, 5 more
days."

It was a message loyal republicans in
attendance wanted to hear, but the overall theme of the rally was much more
than that.

Romney put a special emphasis on small
business and he drove home that point by highlighting a Richmond based
business.

This morning the Romney team released
a web video, featuring the Richmond institution Bill’s BBQ. The business shut
down completely a few weeks ago. The owner told Romney in a visit before the candidate
came to Caroline, that the Obama Administration is to blame for at least part
of her company’s struggles.

"She said taxes, federal regulation
and then she also said Obamacare," said Romney during his stump speech. "Those three things are crushing small
business."

At its height Bill’s employed around
200 people. Now every single restaurant is closed. But not everyone believes that
is Barack Obama's fault. Buz and Ned's another Richmond barbecue is thriving.
They just opened a second location, thanks in part to a federal small business
loan.

"We benefited directly from the government's
ability to help small business," said Buz Grossberg, the Owner of Buz and Ned's. "Through, the S-B-A, small business administration we have loans."